Class A Luggers

Fully-decked luggers, exceeding 30-ft, known to be sailing and invited to our regatta.

ASTROLABE

Pierre Jaffé and his Breton crew are hoping to make their first visit to the Looe Lugger Regatta in 2003 with this 30-footer, an ex-tuna fishing boat.

BARNABAS

SS 634

Built by Henry Trevorrow in 1881 as a St Ives mackerel driver, this 38-footer, with her Cornish Dipping Lug rig, was originally owned and worked by Barnabas Thomas.

She also fished out of Falmouth and Newlyn in West Cornwall for a variety of owners until 1972 when she retired and embarked on a new career with the Maritime Trust.

Since 1994, she has been owned by the Cornish Maritime Trust which is busy raising funds to undertake a complete refit. We wish them well and hope to see Barnabas in the near future.

BRITANNIA

PZ 8

Built by Henry Roberts at Mevagissey in 1903, this 38-ft lugger sports Dandy rig and was commissioned by Jimmy Pearce.

She has been extensively re-built over the past 25 years, when time and money permitted, and is now owned by Mick Barker, of Gillingham, Kent, who used to be based at Porthleven.

Originally a pilchard drifter and long-liner, she was very fast in the days of sail.

MARK and Donna Kitto, of East Looe, now own this 38-ft gaff-rigged ketch.

In recent times she was lovingly restored by Mike and Sue Darlington for day tripping, weekend and weekly charters.

DEU KERENS

FY 290

Built by Paynter at St Ives in 1920, her original name was Our Francis and she ventured out to sea in search of pilchards and herrings, under lugsail and a small auxiliary motor.

In 1935, she was bought by two Spanish fishermen who had settled in Newlyn, near Penzance.

The first thing they did was to change her name to Dos Amigos and when they sold her, she fished out of most of the Cornish ports in a variety of trades – drift fishing for pilchards, potting, hand-line mackereling and dredging for scallops.

Her last fishing port was Fowey and then she was acquired by Mike and Sue, who restored her in 1985. Her present name, Deu Kerens, is Cornish for two friends whereas Dos Amigos is Spanish for two friends.

DOLLY PENTREATH

SS 679

This St Ives mackerel driver was the first new lugger in Cornwall for more than 60 years.

She was built by Norman Laity and helpers between January and May 1993 and they brought her to the regatta in June of that year, minus engine and deck caulking – but their efforts were rewarded when they won a bottle of brandy offered by the chairman.

At 35-ft overall, and with her Cornish Dipping Lug rig, she is a replica of the St Ives mackerel driver, Godrevey.

Norman’s son Mike now works her out of St Ives on charter and fishing trips, including sojourns to Brittany.

ERIN

Built by Curtis and Mitchell in Looe in 1920, she originally replaced the Toms’ family’s fast and regatta-winning Lugger, Little Charlie, which had been sold to Plymouth.

The 42-footer was first worked by fisherman ‘Watt’ Toms and then his his son, Ernie, and later by Ernie‘s late, Edward.

Edward Toms sold the Eileen in 1977 to Cornish Lugger Association Chairman Paul Greenwood and he later sold her to a Plymouth fisherman.

After almost 60 years as a working fishing boat, the yellow-hulled lugger is now owned by Lorraine Harris at Penryn.

EILEEN

FY 310

This 38-ft pilchard driver, with her Cornish Dipping Lug, was built by Frazier in 1904 for Richard Lakeman of Mevagissey – and is hoping to make a sentimental return to the port in 2004 for her centenary celebrations.

Originally called the Ibis, until Lakeman commissioned his new lugger, she was owned in the Mevagissey area by the Elvin family until being bought in 1976 by Gérard Cey, of Lézardrieux, Brittany, who now uses her for cruising.

GEORGE GLASSON

2264

This Falmouth Working Boat was built by Sully Rowe at Porthleven, West Cornwall, in 1898 as a threequarter deck, two-masted lugger and eventually worked as an oyster dredger for the Laity family.

A 31-footer with gaff-cutter rig, she is now a cruising yacht, and was owned for ten years by Pat Crockford of Falmouth. In 2003, she was bought by Colin and Bridget Crabb who have sailed her into their home port of Looe.

GIRL SYBIL

Built at Porthleven, West Cornwall, in 1913, the Girl Sybil began her life as a pilchard drifter.

She was extensively re-built in the early 1980s and converted to a more modern fishing vessel, working out of Falmouth.

In 1992, she was purchased by the then Looe-based Alan Crago and Trish Lucas, who took her back to an Isle of Man, Nobby rig and made her a fast, trim little sailer. She has since been sold on.

GUIDE ME

FH 233

One of the last winners of those turn-of-the-century sailing races in Looe Bay, the Guide Me has sailed extensively across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the East Coast of the States – despite having no engine. Built by Peter Ferris at Looe in 1911 for W Pengelly, she is 40-ft overall with a Cornish Dipping Lug rig and is now owned by Jon and Judy Brickhill.

They found her in the spring of 1977, rotting quietly away up Fareham Creek.

‘We knew she was a proper Looe lugger by her shapely hull but it was only after we’d bought her and motored her down to the Helford to start rebuilding her, that we discovered a little more of her history,’ recalls Judy.

A pilchard driver and long-liner, she fished out of various

South East Cornwall harbours until being sold on to the Solent in 1966.

In 1988, the Brickhills sailed south, via the Douarnenez Festival, to Spain, Portugal, Tenerife, La Palma and a two-week hop to Brazil for Christmas. They returned, via Cape Town, and later headed back to the Americas’ coastline.

Now based at Gweek in West Cornwall, the Guide Me remains a very swift sailing lugger.

GUIDING STAR

FY 363

A previous cup winner at Looe both in latter years and at the turn-of-the-century regattas, the 39-ft Guiding Star will be renewing her friendly rivalry with the Guide Me – they have been racing each other for more than 80 years.

Until 1936, she fished between Brixham and the Isles of Scilly after which she was converted to a yacht by Dr John Thomson, of Paignton.

Brigadier J B A Glennie, of Plymouth, and his wife owned her for 30 years and sailed her all around Europe, including an appearance at the ’89 regatta. The 1907 gaff-ketch lugger, built of carvel wood by Angear, has undergone a massive re-build making her fit for another century and is now owned by Barry Jobson and Jackie Gillespie of Paignton.

IBIS

FY 519

Once owned by Cornish Lugger Association supremo Paul Greenwood and his wife, Maggie, this 42-footer, with a 13-ft beam, was built in 1930 by Percy Mitchell, of Porthmellon, near Mevagissey, for the two Lakeman brothers.

Her original power for pilchard drifting and long-lining was two 7-h.p Kelvin engines and a suit of sails, rigged Cornish Dipping Lug style. In 1960, the Lakeman family sold her to Newlyn, near Penzance, where she continued her trade.

By the mid-1960s she was sold again, and then, as a crabber, she worked for various owners out of Salcombe, Dartmouth and Plymouth. In 1970, Robin Gavin discovered her in Weymouth and set about having her refitted at Philip’s yard, Dartmouth, retaining her splendid pitch pine planking on oak frames.

Herbie Uren bought her in 1975 and worked her for mackereling and crabbing out of Porthleven in West Cornwall, and three years later, her present owner acquired her and gave her a massive refit – including the 30th engine of her lifetime.

Originally, Paul used her for shark angling, mackerel fishing and trawling out of Looe, but by the middle of the 1980s, the Scottish Seiners had wiped out the mackerel industry and the advent of the newer, faster trawlers, with more offshore potential, meant luggers like the Ibis could no longer compete.

So after 58 years, her commercial fishing career had come to an end but in 1989, Paul decided to get her back under full sail. ‘We had many hair-raising moments learning to sail her, as by then there was nobody left alive who had sailed these craft to instruct us,’ recalls Paul.

‘It was really a case of trial and error, gleaning what information we could get from written accounts.’

The Ibis was sold to a Brixham owner in 2002 and is now based at Dartmouth.

I.R.I.S

FY 351

Built by Dick Pearce of Looe in 1921, she was commissioned by Thomas Pengelly to replace the Olive and was owned by the Pengelly family until 1969 – indeed, she carries the initial of the Pengelly girls, Irene, Rosie, Ida and Susie.

The I.R.I.S later left Looe for Dartmouth where she was subsequently re-built and fitted out.

Polperro shipwright Andrew Skentelbery, who followed his trade with Curtis and Pape at West Quarries, and his companion, Carlton Westcountry TV presenter Julie, made her their home at Falmouth when Julie worked for Radio Cornwall.

The I.R.I.S, which was one of the last four Luggers to fish out of Looe, is now owned by fisherman and artist Tony Knight, of Brixham.

KERMOR

Jean le Faucheur and his crew are hoping to make a return visit to the Looe Lugger Regatta in 2003.

LA CANCALAISE

CAN 87

This impressive three-masted lugger is 60-ft overall and is owned and operated by the Assosiation Bisquine Cancallaise, of France. Built in 1987 at Cancale as an exact replica of La Perle, the last of the original bisquines, it will be her first visit to Looe, although she has attended Salcombe’s ‘Old Raffiots’ rallies in past summers.

LA NEBULEUSE

CM 2924

AN impressive Brittany gaffer, measuring 115-ft, including her bow-sprit, the Camaret-based vessel could be the star of the 2003 regatta.

Owned by Cédric Lagrifoul, of Plouezec, she sports Dundee rig and is a former larger tunny boat.

Launched in 1949, she fished the Bay of Biscay until 1987 and then was laid up until Cédric’s immaculate restoration between 1992 and 1999.

LE GRAND-LÉJON

SB 658

A very welcome visitor from Le Legué and the port of St Brieuc in Brittany, France, this 48-footer, with Breton Standing Lug rig, was built in 1991 by Yvon Clochet of Beg Melen, River Treguier.

In the early days of boatbuilding, the French – unlike their Celtic cousins across the Channel – constructed boats to plans, and Le Grand Léjon is an exact replica of the 1896 vessel, La Jeanne d’Arc.

She won the top award at the 1992 Brest and Douarnenez Festivals as the most authentic reconstruction and now represents the towns of Le Legué and St Brieuc, as well as being used for charter and educational cruises.

Her skipper Philippe Saudreau is always a popular visitor to Looe.

LEENAN HEAD

Based at Paimpol in France, Klas Stelleman bought this former fishing vessel from Ireland and has extensively restored her.

Probably built in Scotland, the 45-footer is a fine example of a quite rare half Zulu craft and has a Dipping Lug rig.

LINDY LOU

One of the early Curtis and Pape, Looe-built fishing luggers, the Lindy Lou was saved from the chainsaw in 1998.

Built in 1947, she fished out of Looe until the Blamey family bought her and switched operations to Mevagissey where she was to become a popular sight in the harbour.

Formerly a long-lining and mackerel boat, she is now owned by Andrew Campbell who operates her for charter out of Falmouth.

LITTLE MINT

BM 355

Hoping to make another sentimental return to her home port in the coming years is this 41-footer which was built by Richard Pearce of East Looe in June 1913. She is now owned by John Shepperd, an orthopaedic surgeon of Telham, near Battle in East Sussex, who has spent years painstakingly restoring her to her former glory.

Engine trouble and bad weather has prevented her attendance at the past regattas, although she did make it to Looe for a visit in 1996.

First ordered by William and Thomas Stockman of Brixham, the 17.43-ton vessel is probably the last surviving purpose-built, cutter-rigged Brixham trawler.

MAID MARION

PZ 61

Over the years, this lugger has travelled far from Cornish waters.

Formerly known as Westward and built by Percy Mitchell at Porthmellon, near Mevagissey, in 1923, she is now owned by David Hunt, of Braintree, Essex and kept at Blackwater.

The 40-footer fished out of Cornish ports, including Falmouth, until 1964, and was a member of the Dunkirk Little Ships fleet.

MARIE JULIE

636

This Polperro Gaffer is now owned by Tim and Liz Cropley of Winchester in Hampshire.

The 28-footer was built as a yacht in 1898 by Peter Ferris of Looe and it seems likely that she was more a leisure vessel than a commercial fishing boat.

Once known as the Mariner, she is now kept on the Solent.

OCEAN PRIDE

PZ 134

This 1919 green-hulled vessel is an example of a counter-stern design, made popular after the 1914-18 War when motors became part of the equation.

A motor drifter with a gaff mizzen, she measures 43-ft.

She was actively fishing from Mousehole, Newlyn and Hayle in West Cornwall, until approximately 15 years ago. She then underwent a refit including re-rigging as a standing lug rig. Since this time she has had an interesting time which includes breaking a mast off the Lizzard in 2001 and at some point having an ‘incident’ involving the bowsprit (any more info greatly appreciated)! She is currently moored in Rye, East Sussex where she is undergoing a pretty major re-fit and restoration before ‘coming down West’ again.

The Owner would be greatful for any information regarding her history.

OUR BOYS

FY 221

Built in 1904 by Dick Pearce of Looe, this 42-footer, with Cornish Dipping Lug, was owned by the Woodrow Pengelly family.

She fished out of Looe for some 74 years.

Once retired, she was lovingly restored and put back under sail by George and Sue Dart, from Seaton in East Devon, who took over the helm in 1991.

Based at Axmouth, she spent much of her time on private cruises, often visiting the French coasts before being brought back to Looe by Mike Cotton in 1999.

She was returned to her traditional Looe livery in 2002 when she was owned by Cornish Lugger Association Chairman Paul Greenwood and his wife Maggie, who sold her out of the port early in 2005.

OUR DADDY

FY 7

Looe’s best-known lugger, this splendid 45-ft vessel was built by Dick Pearce at Looe in 1921 for the J E Pengelly family and skippered for years by his son, Alfred John.

In a fishing career spanning 65 years, ‘A J’ and the ‘Daddy’ still managed to cram in hours of film footage and television interviews. Originally engaged in the pilchard, long-lining and mackerel industries, the Our Daddy later turned to shark fishing. She was the last lugger, built on sailing lines, to work out of Looe and is now working out of the port again, owned by Mike Darlington and his charter business partner Mike Cotton.

Extensively re-built as a yacht, with a Dandy rig, acquiring the ‘Daddy’ was the culmination of a 21-year dream for her skipper Mike.

PAULINE

SB 737

This 31-ft pilot boat, with her Breton Standing Lug rig, is an exact replica of an 1890 version.

Built in 1991, by Yvon Clochet, of Beg Melen, River Treguier in France, she is based in the picturesque port of Dahouet, where she is gainfully employed on educational cruises and charter trips.

PET

PZ 211

Built originally in Porthleven in 1903 for Richard Henry Thomas as a Class Two Lugger, or pilchard driver, Pet’s first registration number was PZ 211.

In 1910, after Richard Thomas died, the 32-footer was bought by Henry Johns, of Mevagissey, and started working out of that port, changing her registration number to FY 129.

In 1917, she received her first engine of 8-h.p. She remained in the hands of the Johns family, commercially fishing until 1961, when she was sold off to Cdr Rutherford, on the Helford, for private use.

After laying up on the Helford for some years, William Arthur (‘Arfy’) Treneer bought her in 1966.

She was repaired; re-rigged and re-registered as FH 376, and returned to commercial fishing, including oyster dredging.

She was de-registered and sold off in 1976 to an unknown buyer. She was briefly re-registered again and re-named in 1992 as the Lady Linda (FH 607).

No longer under sail, and having a wheelhouse and a 100-h.p motor fitted, it was at this stage that Ray and Ann Rowe acquired her in 1993.

It is their intention to totally re-build her, stronger than before and give her back her original appearance of 1903, to be once again a sailing Lugger.

The re-build has been a long and arduous job, as Ray has been doing all the work at Penryn himself, with Ann’s help at weekends and holidays.

After eight-and-a-half years, Pet was re-launched on August 9, 2002.

Her masts have been stepped and rigged, and the sails have been bent on to the yards.

She will be sailing in time to make her debut at the Looe Lugger Regatta in this, her centenary year.

At this stage no engine will be fitted, so she will be a pure sailing Lugger with Dipping Lug foresail and Standing Lug mizzen.

PETTIFOX

SC 139

A 36-ft gaff cutter from the Isles of Scilly. A copy of a Camaret Crabber, she was built on St Mary’s in 1993 and was owned by Peter Martin and Alfred Hicks. With 1,000-sq.ft of sail, she usually carries a crew of six for day sailing around the islands, and is now based at Tresco.

PIONEER

SS 634

A rather unique 35-footer built at Newlyn, near Penzance, in 1895 and ‘stretched’ to 48-ft after the 1914-18 War, she is now counter-stern with a 10-ft beam. She also had a steam engine.

She is owned by Jim Richards of Marazion who has discovered that, in her heyday, she was a successful competitor in the annual Brixham trawler races.

RELIANCE

FY 59

Built by Dick Pill at Gorran Haven in 1906, the Reliance – like the Guide Me – has no engine and remains a very fast boat.

A 40-footer, she sports Dipping Lug rig and formerly fished the waters of St Austell Bay, operating out of Mevagissey for several skippers and owners, including Joe Chesterfield in the 1920s.

When her working days were over, she fell into disrepair and was virtually abandoned until Deena Russell, of Penryn, discovered her under the trees at Martin Heard’s ’yard at Six Turnings, Mylor Creek, on the River Fal, and restored her in 1998.

SNOWDROP

FY 104 (PZ 144)

This 44-ft lugger, built in Porthleven in 1920, will be making her first visit to modern-day regattas.

Now based at Penryn, she fished all her working days at Mevagissey, latterly under skipper Graham Mills until the end of the 1970s.

She has been ‘rescued and repaired’ by Chris Davies, who has re-rigged her with dipping lug.

THREE BROTHERS

This 40-ft lugger visited Looe in the summer of 1999, just missing the regatta of that year.

At the time, her teacher-owners Jeremy Dunleavy and Marianne Law-Lindberg were based in Bristol.

The Three Brothers was built in Mount’s Bay 1901, but spent all her working life in Folkestone. After the 1939-45 War, she was laid up until being rescued from the mud and restored.

Her owners, who live on board, are now based at Dartmouth.

VOYAGEUR

SS 634

Built in 1935, she was designed as a pleasure yacht on Cornish Lugger fishing lines by Curtis at West Looe.

The Dunkirk veteran was rescued from decay at Crosshaven, Cork by Kevin and Shon Sartain and later sold to a Brixham owner.

Built of larch planks on oak frames, she was gaff-ketch rigged with twin Parson diesel engines.

At nearly 51-ft overall, she has ten comfortable berths in three cabins, along with a substantial saloon, a good-sized galley and a shower room with two heads.

Her past has been spent cruising both in Ireland and the Med.

She was often used in films and among those who regularly chartered her was Sir John Mills.

WHITE HEATHER

FH 34

This 39-ft gaff-rigged ketch was carvel-built of pitch pine by Dick Pearce at Looe in 1926.

First owned by the four Thomas brothers at Mevagissey, she later fished out of Falmouth for various owners who engaged in mackereling and shark fishing.

For some years, she was laid up on moorings in the Fal until Norman Laity, of St Ives, converted her back to sail in 1988.

Norman later then sold her to Fred Hindley, of Fowey, who ran sailing trips from the Mid-Cornwall port.

By the autumn of 2002 she was part-owned in a three-way business partnership by Mike Mackay-Lewis, of Wiltshire, and returned to Looe for a refit before a transatlantic sailing for Brazil and the West Indies. She returned to UK waters in the summer of 2003 and was sold on.